Discovering the Wonders of Torres del Paine National Park - Chile

Experience Torres del Paine’s famous attractions by day, and relax by night in the comfort of excellent hotels and estancias. On this program you’ll trek to the Towers lookout, cruise across Grey Lake, come close to the ethereal Grey Glacier, hike through pristine wilderness, see local wildlife, walk one of the Park’s lesser-hiked trails and visit a traditional Patagonian estancia.

PROGRAM ITINERARY:

DAY 1: In the first day of the Torres del Paine hike trip, early in the morning a private transfer will pick us up from our hotel in Puerto Natales, and drive through the Chilean Pampas up to one of the prettiest estancias of the area. Estancia Lazo - a huge working cattle ranch – which dates from the early 20th Century and is crowned by splendid views of the Paine Massif and Laguna Verde. Depending on the season, our Torres del Paine hike today will be punctuated by panoramic views of the Park; with orchids, calceolarias and neneos flowering at our feet, and condors soaring overhead. The highest point of this trail connects to a rarely-trekked path from Estancia Lazo to Webber Bridge, in the heart of Torres Del Paine National Park. After our hike, we will take a private transfer to our hotel.

DAY 2: We’ll begin our second day of the Torres del Paine hike trip with our way through a woodpecker-inhabited beech forest to our boat’s departure point. The hour-long Grey Lake boat trip takes us around blue-hued icebergs to the immense face of Grey Glacier, where we’ll stay for a while to admire its textures, lines and colors. If we’re lucky, we’ll witness a glacial calving, where chunks of ice break off and plummet spectacularly into the freezing waters. On your return journey you’ll glimpse the wind-sculpted “ice mushrooms” atop the massive peaks of Paine Grande. After a picnic lunch on the shores of the Pingo River we’ll start our Pingo Valley hike to reach a viewpoint at “Cascada los Salmones”, a waterfall where salmon are sometimes seen. Be alert as we return: you may see a huemul (Andean deer) hiding nearby.

DAY 3: After breakfast, our transfer will take us along the Paine River past Lake Pehoe to Pudeto where we will begin our first gentle round-trip hike for the day. We will pass by the Salto Grande Waterfall where the Nordenskjöld Lake flows into the Pehoe Lake creating a magnificent turquoise blue water. We can enjoy the area's boardwalk with spectacular views of the lake as well as the Paine Grande & Cuernos mountains. Continuing on along a gentle path, we will pass by an open area where the effects of the 2005 national park fire can be seen. Our trail takes us along the black sandy beach of Nordenskjöld Lake where one can feel the powerful Patagonia winds before arriving up top to the Cuernos lookout point which offers captivating views of the French Valley, Los Cuernos, and Paine Grande mountain. Listen closely as you can hear the valley´s glaciers as they shake and move down the icy rock. Taking the same path back, we will enjoy a fresh snack, fresh drink, and short rest before our private transfer takes us to our next trailhead where we´ll set off from the Sarmiento Lake ranger station in route to the Laguna Amarga area. After arriving to the Laguna Amarga entrance, our private transfer awaits where it will transfer us to our accommodation tonight, Hotel Las Torres.

DAY 4: Our fourth day´s journey will take us from our accommodation along the winding roads past Estancia Laguna Amarga where we will surely encounter guanacos grazing with a magnificent backdrop and ñandus scattered across the pampas. We will make our way slowly, taking the time in the comfort of our private transfer stopping to capture the Cascada Paine before continuing on to our destination of Laguna Azul. This special place offers a relaxing walk along the wetlands and beach of it´s blue colored lagoon where we will see a number of different water fowl and bird species who inhabit this area. We will be treated by exceptional views of the iconic towers in the distant, the changing Patagonia sky, and surrounding mountain peaks that make this area picturesque. A

DAY 5: In the morning, we will set off heading back towards Puerto Natales to the Milodon Cave, an area filled with plenty of geographical history! We visit the Large Cave and numerous others as well as the first cave paintings of the region where we learn about their significant value to the culture and Patagonia's history. Later, we return to Puerto Natales in the evening back to your hotel.

Trip Highlights
• Trek a quiet and uncrowded trail
• Boat cruise on Grey Lake
• Get up close to Grey Glacier
• Hike to French Valley
• Trek through pristine wilderness
• Visit a traditional Patagonian estancia
• Observe local birdlife including condors, ñandus and woodpeckers
• Comfortable hotel accommodation

Prices for season 2020/2021 for 2 persons or more. Contact us for additional information and prices update.

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Duration (in days): 5
Period:
january
february
march
april
may
june
july
august
september
october
november
december
Period (search): janvier, février, mars, septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre
Minimum number of persons: 2
Physical level: Dynamic
Main activity: Walk